Hi, I'm new here, but thought I would answer your post, since no one has responded, yet. What you are describing is a datura seed pod. The real seeds are actually inside of the thorny oval thing. If you do a search on datura, you'll see that there are several names for them, including Moon Flower and Devil's Trumpet. This is not to be confused with Brugmansia, which are also called Angel's Trumpet. The Datura are poisonous, but I've never had any problem with mine, and my kids know to stay away. It will be interesting for you to see what color they are, and if they bloom at night or during the day. If she said they were Moon Flowers, then I would assume they are night blooming and are either white or lavender.

Good Luck with your new babies!

Oh, and since you are Zone 6 there is a possibility of them reseeding for you every year. Here in Zone 7 they can be perennial.

Hope this helps!

HW

HW, thank you for responding... I'll do a search on datura....

As for the seedlings they're still popping up and I'm still thinning them out... I'm sure glad I put them in a pot and didn't sow the seeds all over the yard... I'll tell ya one thing, if it does flower I'm going to make sure I gather up ALL the seed pods so I don't end up with a devils garden... LOL

Rita

LOL Rita! I've only got the one, and I bought it. I've been pinching my seed pods off. I kept the first one so I could save seeds from it, but I wanted it to bloom a lot. The more you pinch back the spent flowers, the more it blooms. I'll let it have another seed pod with this next flush of blooms. Mine is only about knee high, but I expect it to get quite a bit larger before summer's end.

As far as the four o'clocks go, I'd be happy to let you have some. Since they just started blooming, it will be awhile til I've got enough seed. Probably Fall. Let me know if you've got any seeds you'd like to trade. I'm always on the lookout. Or, lily bulbils. I like those, too. If your Dat is a different color than mine, that's always a possibility, too.

Talk to you soon,

HW

Well so far mine are only about 2 feet high but all the taller ones have flower buds... I should know what color they are soon... The stems have turned purple, is that an indication of the flower color?

It's hard to say what color the buds are, at first they were a light green and an upside down cone shaped... Now they've about doubled in length and the top part is a cream color... ( God I wish I had a camera! ) It's really hard to explain them but as soon as one opens I'll let you know what color it is... lol

Rita

Yes, let me know! Pinch off the flower heads after they bloom. That keeps them blooming. I let one flower head got to seed at a time. That way the energy goes to the blooms. When it's ripe, I harvest the seeds, and let another one go.

HW

Well.... Looks like the majority of them are a very pale lilac with a light purple throat but I could have sworn that the first one was white with a light purple throat... ( I'm letting a seed pod develop on that one! )

It sure is an interesting flower... They start to open around 5 PM then stay open till about 8 AM... Even the small, 5 or 6 inches high, plants are developing flower buds... When they're open they resemble swirly five pointed stars... Every last one of them stands straight up at the top of the plant... I half expected them to be much larger though... These are only about 2 inches across and about four inches long ( not counting the green )... But then again they may be smaller because they don't get full sun... As for the scent of the flowers... Well it's hard to say, my sniffer isn't working properly ( LOL )... Although I don't think anything can top the scent of an Aphrodite Hosta in full bloom...

Rita

The seeds cross pollinate, so it's entirely possible that you can have several different color plants from one seed pod. You're lucky you get to see them open...I never have! Mine open really late and close really early. I keep sneaking out in the middle of the night hoping to "catch" it, but no luck, yet.

HW

HW, I had a lot more than one pod, half a lunch bag of them... lol

I'm still not 100% sure what it is though... All the plants only had/have one flower... With the one that was the first to bloom I left it alone, to form a pod but with the other ones I've been removing the spent flowers and so far nary a new bud in sight... On one plant I even removed the flower before it finished opening... Weird plant.... Or maybe they're just that way because they're in my yard... LOL

At any rate I'm leaving the rest of then alone to produce seed pods... Would you except some seeds in exchange for some Four-O-Clocks?

So are your Dats solid white?

Rita

Rita,

The dats that are blooming are lilac with purple center and purple stems. Really pretty. It may take a week or two for the plants to start protducing more buds. Plus, they are young plants. What color 4 o'clocks did you want? I've got some seeds for broken colors that I collected the other day. Not enough to trade, yet, but they will be. I also have Limelight. That's all I planted. I love the bright colors. On some of my 4 o'clocks, I've got 3 colors on one flower-gorgeous!

Have you been to the cottage garden forum? That's where I mostly am.

Talk to you soon,

Sherri

I'll take any kind you don't want to keep... lol

Years ago I had bright pink and bright yellow and they cross pollinated to yellow with pink streaks... They were my favorites but, unfortunately, I didn't harvest the seeds one year and lost them all...

Well, unless I get some more dats that are white with light purple throats I'll have to come up with something else... Ever try tall bearded iris from seed, I let one seed pod develop this year... Haven't tried lilies yet... Want some Rose of Sharon seeds, I can sent you a few pounds of those... LOL

Rita

Hi Green Thumb Friends,
doe's enybody know if this flower survives the winter? Ontario Canada, zone 4-5
By the way the correct name is Texas Buttercup (Oenothera triloba). I have two mature plants and many seedlings with a couple new leaves.
Thanks, Jaro_grow

Jaro-the Oenothera is Evening Primrose. I'm not sure of the hardiness, I think it's zone 5. We ones we are growing are Daturas and Four O'Clocks (Mirabilis). The Primrose is invasive here, so I don't grow it. There are several people on the board here that grow Evening Primrose. They're very pretty.

HW